


Sun & Moon

by Lesbevian



Series: Sun & Moon/Summertime [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Music Store, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:40:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25104070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lesbevian/pseuds/Lesbevian
Summary: Gods in this world weren't born as gods. They were chosen by their predecessor. Haechan had been chosen when he was 15. He didn’t want to leave his life on Earth, he missed his friends every single day. He tried not to think too much of his friends on earth, as when he got emotional he tended to cause sun storms. The summer after he took over full time, earth had some of the worst heat waves in recorded history. It was torturous. He could go down to Earth when he wanted of course after he finished his year of training, but his first time back was worse than he had ever expected.---------In which Mark Lee's soulmate is the God of the Sun.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Moon Taeil/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Sun & Moon/Summertime [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1897984
Comments: 2
Kudos: 82





	Sun & Moon

All the gods knew they shouldn’t interact with humans. It was an unspoken rule, that to have any relationship they would have to relinquish their status as a god. Donghyuck (or Haechan, the name given to him when he became the god of the sun) knew this rule all too well. Gods in this world weren't born as gods. They were chosen by their predecessor. Haechan had been chosen when he was 15. He didn’t want to leave his life on Earth, he missed his friends every single day. He tried not to think too much of his friends on earth, as when he got emotional he tended to cause sun storms. The summer after he took over full time, earth had some of the worst heat waves in recorded history. It was torturous. He could go down to Earth when he wanted of course after he finished his year of training, but his first time back was worse than he had ever expected.

Because of the rules, Haechan wouldn’t be visible to humans. He was only 16, and he had to sit through his parents seeing directly through him. He remembered his mother’s face, she looked happy. Her eyes were the same as his, they crinkled as she smiled. His whole family’s skin was the same, but he was a bit darker. It was nearing the end of spring, so the lingering cold from winter had kept them inside. In comparison, spending most of his days inside of the sun had given Haechan quite the tan. His whole family, mother, father, sister, brothers, had been sitting together on the couch when he walked in the door. They didn’t notice him. He could feel his throat burning as he screamed for their attention. It didn’t truly hit him until he saw the family photo they had taken last christmas. There was his mom, with her crinkly eyed smile, there was his father holding his youngest brother, there was his sister, there was his other brother. He wasn’t in the photo. He ran to his bedroom, only to find that it was empty. Not only could they not see him, he was simply erased.

No longer human, but not at home in the world of the gods, Haechan didn’t know where he belonged. When he returned to the sun, he curled up in the core and sobbed for the whole summer. His tears burned his cheeks as flames licked his limbs. The sun roared and threw a fit as Haechan screamed, cursing his predecessor for choosing him. Why, why did it have to be _him_? Couldn’t she have chosen anyone else, someone who wouldn’t have cared about leaving Earth behind. Someone who _wanted_ to start over. Some would view this life as a blessing. He had full control over the most important planet in the solar system, he could do whatever he wanted. He viewed it as a curse. His heart ached with every day that passed. Eventually, the moon couldn’t stand to see him like that anymore. Besides, an eclipse was scheduled soon and they would have to meet.

As the solar eclipse began, Taeil made his way to visit the young sun. Of course, he was huddled up in the core of the sun.

“Haechan?” Taeil called out as he entered the small room. Haechan had made himself a makeshift bed of magma, and flames covered him like a blanket. It looked strange to others, but it was warm and comforting to Haechan. To the Moon God of nearly a century, he could barely remember when he first lived on the moon. He did remember the one thing he missed was his bed however, and for his first few years he slept on a bed made of moonrocks. It wasn’t comfortable, but something about being able to pretend that he was at home in his bedroom was comforting.

“Can’t we reschedule this? We’ve got eternity, how does three years in the future sound?” Haechan asked. He pulled the covers down a bit so he could get a glimpse at Taeil. When he was training he got quizzed on all the other gods. He knew that if Taeil had still been human, he would at least be 120. The man in front of him however looked as if he was maybe 25? Haechan was perplexed, his eyes went wide.

“Sorry to break it to you, but this was scheduled when the universe formed. No rainchecks.” Taeil laughed, wiping sweat from his brow. The heat wouldn’t burn him, but it was still hot. Taeil had been through multiple eclipses, but he would never understand how the sun gods could withstand such heat for so long. The previous sungod and Taeil had been close. Taeil knew why she quit, he just wished he could have said goodbye.

“Why do you not look… old?” Haechan asked, sitting up in his “bed.”

“She really never told you?” He laughed, taking a seat at the edge of Haechan’s bed. He pondered for a moment if he should lie, or if he should tell the young god the truth. He didn’t want to relive the pain she had put him through, but he also didn’t want Haechan to go through the same thing. Reluctantly, he began his story.

Ash was the name of the previous sun god. Her first day, an eclipse was scheduled. Taeil was excited, of course, so he made his way to see her quickly. That was 10 years ago. Their romance wasn’t quick, but it wasn’t slow either. They began to meet every night. They chose their meeting places carefully, as they didn’t want to accidentally cause another eclipse. Ash had tightly coiled hair, and dark skin that stood out beautifully against the stars. She was beautiful, and Taeil fell madly in love with her. He would collect stardust and make jewelry for her, the sun would often melt the jewels he found for her, but he didn’t care. The jewels made her happy, and he would sacrifice the entire moon for her smile. He remembered the day they first kissed, when she told him she loved him, it felt as if the whole galaxy was created just for them. Just as all the planets in the solar system orbited around her, his heart orbited her too. They were both gods, but to him she was a holy temple built for him to worship.

Everyone has a soulmate. Even Gods have soulmates. When soulmates were created, a footnote was added for the soulmates of Gods. When a human was chosen to be a god, they wouldn’t be visible to humans, except for their soulmate. The day their soulmate died, they would stop aging. When Taeil was somewhere in his twenties (he was unsure of what age) his soulmate died. Somewhere down on Earth, a human had just died with Taeil’s name etched on their heart, and Taeil had never met them. For a long time, he was in shambles. When he met Ash however, he was somewhat convinced that his soulmate had simply been reborn. However, one day the two of them made a trip to Earth together. Because humans couldn’t see them, they would simply go into bakeries and coffee shops and take what they wanted for their picnics. Ash called it “taking offerings.” They had decided on Ash’s home city for their date that picnic that day, Manhattan. To Ash’s surprise, a bakery she had loved as a child was still open. Taeil reminded her, she had only been a god for around 8 years. Ash ran in excitedly, Taeil followed closely behind. He loved seeing her this excited. The shop was empty, thankfully. Ash ran behind the counter, she began to examine the baked goods. Taeil just let her choose, besides she knew the place well enough to know what was good. She began picking out muffins, scones, cookies, anything she wanted. The two of them laughed, until they heard a voice from the back.  
  


“HEY! Ma’am, those aren’t free for the taking. Besides, only employees are allowed behind the counter.” A woman shouted, she walked out from the backroom and leaned against the door. Taeil couldn’t remember what she looked like, but her eyes were fiercely staring at Ash.

“Y-You can see me?” Ash stammered out. The woman nodded. Ash had found her soulmate, the reason she was still aging, the only human who could still see her. Taeil left without Ash. When a god finds their soulmate, within 3 months they become human again. Ash was beautiful, so he couldn’t blame the woman at the bakery for falling in love at first sight. Taeil couldn’t withstand the thought of being without Ash, so for her last 3 months he ignored her. For the first time in recorded history, there was no full moon for three months. Taeil simply couldn’t bring himself to shine.

From there on, a temporary replacement usually comes in to find a new god, and train them accordingly. Haechan couldn’t believe what he was hearing as Taeil explained everything. A part of him was sad for Taeil, what he went through was horrible. Another part of Haechan however, felt more hopeful than he had ever been. If he could just find his soulmate, he could get out of this cursed fate.

Taeil visited Haechan regularly for the next 4 years, however Haechan spent most of his time on Earth looking for his soulmate. Only a year in, Taeil had to tell Haechan to begin spending more time in the Sun. Despite how much the now 20 year old didn’t like the Sun, it was his home now. Not only was it his home, but it kept all the life in the solar system going, and he was in charge of it. Sure, he could still utilize some of the other aspects that came along with being God of the Sun while on Earth, but Earth’s warmth came from the Sun. Being the God of the Sun also made him the God of Nature on Earth, as most of Earth’s plants couldn’t survive without him. Every so often, Haechan would see a garden dying and he would revitalize the plants. The human who owned the garden wouldn’t know it was him of course, but he liked helping human’s out.

* * *

Mark Lee had just moved into the city. His older brother Johnny had found a spot in town that was perfect for him. There was a big garden in the back, a place to live above where he could have his storefront, so of course Mark dropped everything to move in. It had only taken a little over a month for him and his brother to fully move him in, as well as get the storefront set up. The sign out front contrasted the other buildings next to it in the downtain. It was dark black, but with bright yellow letters that read “Sunflower Records” out front. Mark’s first passion was music, so of course he had always wanted to own a record store and be able to sell albums from all his favorite artists, but he had also loved his garden. As a kid he had always helped his mother to work in their garden, and sunflowers had always been his favorite flower. So of course, he would name his store after his favorite thing.

Mark smiled wide as he flipped over the sign on the front door to say open. Johnny started clapping from behind the counter. He laughed, feeling his cheeks flush a bit. They had always been close growing up, Mark was the annoying little brother that followed Johnny wherever he went. Johnny’s friends all treated Mark as their little brother too, so he wasn’t really that annoying. When Johnny and all his friends left for college though, Mark found himself with only a few friends, but only really in school. He threw himself into studying outside of school, as well as into learning about the two things he was most interested in, gardening and music. Mark found solace in his hobbies. Johnny found that he could ask Mark about his hobbies over the phone and Mark would talk for so long he could leave his phone at his dorm room and get dinner. Johnny would never admit it to his younger brother, but he did this frequently.

The store was dark, posters plastered the pitch black brick walls, and rows of shelves holding crates or records made aisles in the open space. In the middle of the store, pressed to the wall, was the counter that Mark would soon spend most of his time behind. In the way back there was a separate room filled with instruments and recording equipment. Mark would mess with everything in there every now and then, producing his own songs. However the room was mainly meant to be rented out, he felt if he could help someone make music then he would have truly done his job. Mark wanted to make a difference in the world, whether it be through his own art or through helping someone else make theirs. He didn’t particularly care if one day he had millions of screaming fans, as long as he could brighten up a few people’s lives he would be content.

Slowly throughout the day people began coming through the store. A few people bought things, a few people just browsed, nonetheless the opening day was a success. Maybe it was because Johnny’s friend Ten had gotten his boyfriend to bake enough cookies so that everyone who came through the door got one, but at least the sign that read “FREE COOKIES” was bringing in business.

* * *

Haechan decided as he woke up that morning to go visit the city he grew up in. Maybe it was silly, but he always put effort into his appearance before going to Earth. He knew finding his soulmate was a one in seven billion chance, but if he did he wanted to look nice. His light brown hair hadn’t been cut in a while, but he thought it looked nice. It was a similar length to a style his overseer (Baekhyun, the god of Light) had a few years ago. Baekhyun was nice, he only visited Haechan once a year just to make sure he wasn’t abusing his powers and distributed light evenly. Baekhyun would probably throw a fit if he knew about how much Haechan helped gardeners on Earth. He would move the sunlight to hit their plants just right, revitalise them when he could. Nonetheless, Haechan enjoyed visiting florists and gardeners alike a few months after he moved the sunlight to help them. They always grew the most beautiful flowers. His favorite of course were sunflowers. Taeil told him that sometimes farmers, gardeners, and florists would leave out sunflowers as offerings to him, so of course Haechan was always sure to help them out.

To Haechan’s delight, as he was walking downtown he found a new store named Sunflower Records. He could see sunflowers growing in the back behind a fence. He smiled wide. Sunflowers helped him feel a bit more connected to humans. Truthfully, while he knew he shouldn’t take from humans, he always picked one when he saw a bunch of them. So of course as he entered the garden, he broke off the top of one of the sunflowers and stuck it behind his ear. It was a bit awkward and barely fit, but it brought him some comfort. He moved some sunlight to hit the garden directly, it had previously been blocked by other buildings. He bent down to see a patch of strawberries that were wilting, so he revitalised them. His nose soon picked up on a scent coming from the store. Chocolate chip cookies. Quickly, he ran from the garden and to the storefront. The cookies were by the register. There was a man in the back of the store. He was tall, leaning against a wall on his phone. Haechan smiled to himself, the store was nice and cool as he swayed along to the music that played over the radio.

“No use looking out, it's within that brings that lonely feeling. Understand that when you leave here, you'll be clear among the better men” The singer sang drowsily, Haechan hummed along. He began looking through the crates.

“I love this song…” Haechan muttered to himself.

“Same here, it’s one of my favorites by Mac Demarco.” The boy behind the counter replied. Haechan froze. He could hear a ticking in his ears, his cheeks flushed bright red, he felt the weight of the world collapse off of his shoulders.

“Mark? Who are you talking to?” The man in the back asked. Haechan turned around quickly before Mark could respond.

“Tell him you have to go water your plants.” Haechan demanded, Mark was just as confused as Johnny, so he obliged. Haechan practically dragged Mark outside. A slew of curse words left Mark’s mouth as they exited the shop. It was the middle of summer, and he had decided to wear a dark black hoodie. The heat hit him like a pile of bricks. However, this random guy seemed to be radiating warmth. Everything about him was warm. Mark felt as if his hand would melt off if he were to try to touch him.

“Keep your voice down.” He said as they stood in the garden. Something about him looked ethereal, he was unreal. Yet all Mark could even think of to say about the other’s appearance was to ask if the flower tucked behind his ear came from Mark’s garden.

Haechan explained to Mark how everything worked. How he had been chosen as a god five years ago, how nobody else could see him or any sign of his existence, and most importantly he explained the red string of fate. Something, a long time ago, had tied them together. In this lifetime and in the next they were meant to find each other, that is as long as one of them didn’t get chosen as a god again.

“No way- you’re not a god that’s impossible.” Mark scoffed, “If you’re really a god, then prove it.”

Haechan sighed, he plucked the flower from behind his ear and made his way over to the stem he had taken it from. He placed the flower back on top and wrapped his hand around it tightly, flames shot from his wrist and licked at his fingertips. Mark stood back in horror, as the heat around Haechan became too much for him to stand. When Haechan pulled his hand away the flower had been reattached.

“Do you believe me now?” He asked, Mark nodded.

* * *

It had been about two months since they first met, and Haechan had been visiting Mark everyday. He wasn’t human yet so nobody else could see him, but it made it easier to annoy Mark while working.

“Hotter… and colder…. Hotter! …. And colder” Haechan chanted one day as he used his powers to mess with the temperature inside the store. He was leaning against the wall behind the counter, his arms were crossed and his eyes focused on his hand swaying back and forth. Mark had begun wearing tee shirts, even at times tank tops to work. Haechan in his god form was a welcome presence at work of course, but the heat he radiated was still unbearable at times. Mark didn’t always mind it though.

Over the time they had known each other, they took their relationship slowly. For one, Mark had begun doing little things to help Haechan feel more human. He didn’t need to eat necessarily, but whenever he slept over Mark made breakfast for him. He would always protest it because “You spent your own money on it, I don’t need it.” Mark didn’t care though, and he wouldn’t leave the table until the other had finished his meal. Mark made sure he came along when he went to get groceries as well, and he would always tell the cashier about his boyfriend. He would tell them about how he liked strawberries, and how he talked in his sleep. Sometimes he would hit Mark’s arm to try to get him to stop, but deep down he liked it. While all those random cashiers didn’t really know him, they knew he existed.

Haechan’s favorite thing though, was when Mark called him his human name. He could still clearly remember the night he first did. Mark had decided that the two of them would sleep in the garden that night. Haechan pointed out the moon, and began to tell Mark about Taeil. How Taeil had helped him process giving up being human, how Taeil had explained how he could eventually get back to being human.

“He’s the one who first called me Haechan, aside from my teacher of course.” He stated. Mark could hear the pain in his voice. The name Haechan burned the inside of his throat. He liked it to an extent, just not in that context. The name distanced him from being human. He understood why he was referred to as Haechan, but he didn’t like why.

“What was your _human_ name?” Mark asked, leaning over to wrap his arm around the other’s shoulder.

“Donghyuck.” He choked out. It had been so long since he said that name, it didn’t feel like home anymore, it felt like a former life that he could never go back to.

“Well- I’ll call you Hyuck then. It sounds cute.” Mark stated, planting a soft kiss on Donghyuck’s cheek.

“But I’m not-” He paused. “It’s my human name, and I don’t think I can ever truly again be-”

Mark cut him off and looked right in his eyes. “You’ll always be human with me.”

Donghyuck wasn’t one to get overly emotional, small gestures usually earned a smile from him at most. This was different though. This was an affirmation of something he had been pleading for for years. This was the calm after the storm. A wave of bliss crashed down on him with all the weight in the world. He had never believed in soulmates truly, in his mind they had always seemed to be more of a suggestion. In that moment though, as hot tears poured down his cheeks and words couldn’t form, as he placed both hand on Mark’s face to cup his cheeks and kiss him, he knew that he had found his soulmate. As they pulled away, Mark felt as if he had just tasted all the stars and galaxies in the sky. Donghyuck’s warmth spread throughout both of their whole bodies in a bright red flush, and manifested in a phrase that had seemingly been planned for them to say for all of eternity.

“I love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on twt if you would like, @flnalround & @kunhimbo . Comments are always appreciated, as I'd love to improve on my writing in anyway possible. Nonetheless, thank you so much for reading <3


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